Let’s Have a Porch Supper!
Invite your friends! Call your neighbors! Say goodbye to August with these five recipes for a Porch Supper.
Hello! If you’re new here, yay! and welcome. I hope Cooking Lessons will inspire you to get homemade food on the table and maybe learn a thing or two in the process. I’ll be sending weekly recipes to free subscribers. Paid subscribers receive more recipes and full access to the archives. Consider upgrading to become a paid subscriber; your support means the world to me. I’ve got an end of summer discount for you until the end of August! That’s in two days! When I see a new subscriber in my inbox (free or paid) or when you share a post, my heart flutters just a little.
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Back to school is always invigorating but with a touch of wistfulness. The kids are back into a routine (phew!) yet those long, lazy days of summer without plans or schedules fade fast. Boo-hoo. Summer is my happy place, even if its pleasures exist only in my imagination. Same goes for the porch.
Because I don’t actually have a porch. Or a patio. Or an easily accessible outdoor space. Can we just think of it as a metaphor for everything great about summer? There will be plenty of time to embrace sweater weather and crisp fall air, so let’s take a pause right now. The farmers’ markets are bursting with so much deliciousness it makes your heart swell. (Or it makes mine. I’m not a complicated person.)
I’ve got some ideas for you to cook over the next few weeks or for having friends over. For starters, make some Mushroom Flatbreads using a semi-homemade hack. Pass the drinks. Rosé days are slipping by.
Then, if you’re into grilling, fire it up for Spicey Harissa Chicken on Grilled Zucchini, or make it vegetarian with an easy, cheesy ‘almost-enchilada’ plate of Enfrijoladas. Serve a side of Colorful Coleslaw and end with a Rustic Fruit Tart. Of course, you don’t have to make it all for one meal. You’re not crazy.
Mushroom Flatbread Pizzas with Fontina and Thyme
I discovered pre-cooked flatbreads a while ago, and wow! I think you’ll agree everything doesn’t have to be made from scratch to be good. That’s exhausting. So, hooray for flatbreads. They’re extra thin so the crust is crispy and cracker-like rather than thick or chewy. Pop them directly on an oven shelf with a safety net of a foil-lined baking sheet placed beneath it to catch any spills. When the idea of store-bought dough seems like a bridge too far but you still want something a little special, these will do the trick. I’ve used these and they were surprisingly good.
This version is topped with sautéed mushrooms, softened red onions, and creamy fontina cheese, but you’re only limited by your imagination. If you’re all about pepperoni and mozzarella, go for it. This one is infinitely adaptable.
TIP: When cooking mushrooms, use a large skillet and give them space. Let them cook undisturbed so they will turn a deep golden brown, but don’t add salt to the pan until after they’re cooked. The salt draws out extra moisture, which you are trying to avoid so the mushrooms can brown nicely.
Mushroom Flatbread Pizzas with Fontina and Thyme Recipe
Serves 4 | Prep time | Cook time 20 minutes (for two)
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Water, as needed
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Olive oil (for brushing the flatbread)
2 (12-inch round) pre-baked ultra-thin flatbread pizza crusts
8 ounces fontina, cut into slices
Chopped parsley (for garnish)
METHOD
1. Line a baking sheet with foil and place it in the lower third of the oven. Adjust the second rack to the middle position. Have on hand a rimless baking sheet or two large metal spatulas. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are brown on the bottom. Stir in the thyme leaves and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of water15 minutes to the pan and stir to loosen the brown bits on the bottom. Add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time if needed. Let the water evaporate from the pan. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until it is wilted and soft.
4. Brush the flatbreads with olive oil. Divide the mushrooms between the rounds. Spread the cheese slices on top.
5. Bake the pizzas one at a time. Slide the middle oven rack out halfway. Set one pizza directly on the rack. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Slide the rack out halfway again. Place a rimless baking sheet or 2 large metal spatulas flush with the edge. Coax and slide the pizza onto the baking sheet or spatulas. Transfer it to a cutting board and cut into wedges. Sprinkle with parsley.
7. Bake the other flatbread in the same way.